TAKING TIME OFF BEFORE LAW SCHOOL

If you want to work full-time before entering law school, for experience, to earn money, to test law as an option, or for another reason, you should do so, but it is unlikely that working will affect your application outcomes to a great extent. In recent years at the most competitive schools, nearly half of entering classes came directly from college and just over half took time to work, travel, or earn other graduate degrees. Unless you work for a while, the experience you gain while working is unlikely to significantly distinguish you. Working at entry-level jobs in law, politics, research or finance is very common, and as a result the experience applicants choose to make themselves more attractive to law schools often make them look like others in the pool.

If you have the chance to do something truly unusual (have a responsible job in a state or national campaign, become a reporter for a national media outlet, launch and develop a business), you can increase your chances of admission to some degree. Considering these factors, if you decide not to start law school immediately, you should choose a job or activity based on your interests.